Apparatus for mixing fluids



Jan. 18, 1955 L. POLLOCK ETAL APPARATUS FOR MIXING FLUIDS Fil ed Jan.17, 1952 United States Patent APPARATUS FOR MIXING FLUIDS Lou Pollockand Harold C. Wald, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Davies-Young SoapCompany, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 17,1352, Serial No. 266,956 1 Claim. (Cl. 103-262) tergents and sanitizingsolutions, and is particularly concerned with the employment of thosecleansing materials with relation to the hand or machine washing ofarticles in restaurants, homes, and so forth. The system describedeliminates spillage and waste of the cleansing material and furtherprovides the desired relation of cleansing material and water for anygiven service condition. Also in many States laws directed to themaintenance of the public health set forth specific requirements inconnection with the sanitizing and disinfecting solutions employable bythose serving the public and the system and device of invention willcomply with such specifications.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a soapdispensing system in which the cleansing material is mixed with aflowing stream of water before use.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a dispensingsystem in which the quantity of cleansing material introduced into aflowing stream of water may be readily controlled and may be reduced tozero when desired.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a unique mixingunit for flowing cleansing material and water, which unit may be readilyadapted to existing water line fixtures.

It is also a primary object of this invention to provide a novel methodof dispensing liquid cleansing materials.

These and other allied objectives are attained by providing a uniqueunit for the controlled mixing of a liquid cleansing material withflowing water, which unit may be secured to an ordinary water faucet andmay consist essentially of (l) a pressure ejector secured to a source offluid pressure and a suction line connected into the said ejector, thesuction line being provided with a valve selectively operable to connectthe suction line and ejector with the atmosphere or with a source ofsupply of a liquid cleansing material. This cleansing material isprovided in a container from which a conduit or bubble tube extends tothe suction line of the mixing unit and the flow of liquid cleansingmaterial, such as a liquid soap or a detergent, to the ejector, iscontrolled by a valve in the suction line. A valve provided in thesuction line is adapted to cut off the flow of cleansing material to theejector or mixing chamber and at the same time admit air thereto.Conversely, the air flow to the chamber is cut off when the valve isadjusted to secure a flow of liquid soap or detergent to the chamber.

Thus the valve of the mixing unit in the closed position thereof isadapted to shut off the liquid cleansing material flow and at the sametime provides for the entry of air to the mixing chamber to assist inthe maintenance of atmospheric pressure on the chamber side of the valveand thus inhibit leakage of liquid cleansing material through the valvewhile preventing water accumulation inthc valve line on the chamber sidethereof.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating the system of invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view illustrating one position of the valve ofthe mixing unit; and

Patented Jan. 18, 1955 Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating anotherposition of the valve of the mixing unit.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a basin 1 supporting a faucet 2connected to a pressure line 3. Mounted below the basin is a cabinet 4having a metal container 5 of liquid cleansing material 6 the containerbeing provided with a normally closed port 7 in the base thereof; abubble tube 8, which may be more generally termed a suction line, isshown extending from the container 5 and closure assembly 10 in the top11 of the container through wall 12 to the mixing unit indicatedgenerally at 13. Mixing unit 13 comprises (Figures 2 and 3) an ejector,that is, a stainless steel body portion 14 and a stainless steel wingportion 15, which wing portion is provided with a valve and a convenientfitting 17 for the securing of the conduit 8 thereto.

As more clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 the body portion 14 of themixing unit defines a mixing chamber 16 in the form of a cylindricalpassage and is provided with openings 18 and 19 for the flow of fluidtherethrough. Opening 18 is defined by screw threads 20 in the bodyportion 14 and opening 19 is provided with a screen 21.

An aperture 22 provided in a wall of the body portion 14 interconnectswith passage 23 of wing portion 15 which passage is recessed as at 24 tosnugly accommodate a cylindrical member 25 extending transverselythrough the wing portion 15'. The cylindrical member 25 at theintersection thereof with the passage 23 is provided with a T-shapedslot 26, and a channel 27 extends from the exterior of the wing portionto the T-shaped slot, as most clearly indicated in Figure 2.

Handle 28 is secured to an extension (not shown) of the cylindricalmember 25 and is adapted to rotate the member 25 between the extremepositions shown in Figures 2 and 3. Thus it may be noted that in Figure3 the handle 28 and member 25 are in such a position that liquid flowingin the passage from the left end thereof may pass through the slot 26 tothe body portion 14, channel 27 being closed off, while in the positionshown '1 Figure 2 the passage to the left is closed by the cylindricalmember 25 and air may pass through the channel 27 and slot 26 to thebody portion 14.

In the practice of the invention water flowing through line 3 passingdownwardly through body portion 14 of the mixing unit creates a suctioneffect at the passage 23 and the liquid cleansing material is forced bythe differential pressure from the container 5 through the open valveafforded by the T slot 26 in. cylindrical member 25 (Figure 3) and mixeswith the water coursing through the body portion of the mixing unit.Thus a mixture of the cleansing material and water is readily procuredby the user, and when it is desired to rinse articles with water only,valve handle 28 is thrown to the Figure 2 position, whereupon the flowof liquid cleansing material is cut off and atmospheric pressure isestablished in the right hand portion of passage 23 (Figure 2) bymovement of air thereto through channel 27.

It will be readily understood that when valve handle 28 is in the Figure2 position, that is with no liquid soap flowing, air, entering channel27 and coursing through passage 23 will effectively prevent anaccumulation of water in this passage and consequently the ability ofthe mixing unit to develop adequate suction pressure on movement ofhandle 28 to the Figure 3 position will not be deleteriously affected.

The materials used in the structure set forth are not critical and maypreferably be of rubber, glass, plastic or steel. Those components whichare subjected to suction must of course withstand the pressure withoutcollapsing.

It will thus be noted that there has; been provided a compactarrangement adapted for maximum cleanliness and economy in use and whicharrangement has the particular feature that it readily provides simplywater or any desired mixture of cleansing material and water in thewashing solution.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art and as noted hereinbeforethat the term liquid cleansing material embraces liquid preparations ofa cleansing nature and particularly includes liquid soap compositions,disinfectants, detergents and sanitizing solutions.

vIt will be. understood .thatthis invention is susceptible tomodification in order tovadopt it to difierent usages and conditions andaccordingly, it is desired to comprehend. suchmodifications-within this.inventionas may fall within the scope of the' appended claim.

A mixingunit for. attachment toa faucet and comprisingabody defining acylindrical mixing chamber, said mixing chambendefining a cylindricalpassage through said body, openings in opposite ends of, said body andcommunicating with said mi-xing chamber, said mixing chamber having asmallerdiameter than either of said openings, a wing portion projectingradially outwardly from said body portion andsecured to said bodyportion intermediate the. ends thereof, -a longitudinal passage throughsaid-wing portion and communicating with said mixing chamberintermediate the ends thereof, a source of: supply connected to..s aidwing'portion and communicating with said longitudinal passage-an airchannel in saidtwing portion-spaced:from said mixing chamber'andinterconnecting said longitudinal passage and the atmosphere,a-cylindricabrecessat the junction of said air channelJand saidlongitudinal passage, the longitudinal axis of s aidrecessbeingtransverseto and passing through said longitudinal passage,- avalve member rotatably disposed withinsaid recess, a transverse passagethrough References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,491,115 Taylor Apr. 22, 1924 1,519,312 Kelleher Dec. 16, 19241,553,299 Adams Sept. 15, 1925 2,260,887 Dasher Oct. 28, 1941 2,376,565Wi1liams May 22, 1945 2,381,589 Hayes Aug. 7, 1945 2,445,246 ShallenbergJuly 13, 1948 2,462,752 Kotches Feb. 22, 1949 2,527,848 Prack Oct. 31,1950 2,621,908 Young et a1 Dec. 16, 1952 2,625,176 Williams et al Jan.13, 1953

